Rocking Lion

This is a little project I did a few years ago – it doesn’t require a lot of precision, but the kids really love it.

I got hold of a photo from somewhere, and I simply started deconstructing it. In fact, I made a few of these – so I included some photos of mid-construction as well. The first one was almost completely dowel and carpenter glue assembled (shown in the thumbnail). On the second try, I found that I actually preferred the look of button top (mushroom) wood plugs, and it also made the construction a little easier as well – since I simply countersunk screws to fortify the body and plugged-over each thereafter. (You can see the countersunk screws and 2 wood plugs I’ve laid on top of the structure if you look at the two construction shots carefully.)

It’s the little stuff that the kids really like, though: the mop hair, the hemp rope tail – and definitely a very carefully drawn face. For the face, I simply used a fine-tipped permanent marker before staining/varnishing. And it’s important to practice first – as you only get one shot at this!

My parents have a book with this exact model’s plans in it, along with many other kids related projects. It’s a german book if I remember well. I’ll check it this summer and give you peeps the exact title.

-- Thomas - Pondering the inclusion of woodworking into physics and chemistry classes...